Thomas g



T. G. HALL.

WATER WHEEL.

Patented Apr. 30,1867.

guitar: 121125 igstrnt @fii THOMAS G. HALL, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORTO HIMSELF,

LEWIS STRAYER, AND PETER S. BOOSE, OF THE SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 64,395, dated April 30, 186.7.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, THOMAS G. -HALL, of the city and county of York, and State bf Pennsylvania, have nvcnted a new and useful Improvement in Water-Wheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, and in which-- Figure 1 is a plan of the stationary bottom plate', showing the peculiar form of the inlets, the wheel, top

plate, and gates being removed.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the bottom plate, the side plates forming the inlets being removed.

Figure 3 is a bottom view, and

Figure 4 a perspective view of the wheel.

Figure 5 is a bottom view, and

Figure 6 a perspective view of one of the two sets of gates.

Similar letters "of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The nature of my invention consists in providing each bucket of the wheel with a vertical projection, which prevents the water on striking the bucket from spreading before its full direct force is spent. It further consists in the combination of bent plates forming a converging inlet, with a wheel having a downward and inward discharge, and with gates having horizontal projections -on their lower ends, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, A represents the stationary bottom plate, having a central circular opening, B, across and under the centre of which is the cross-piece C, in which is formed the step for theshaft D of the wheel E. F are the plates forming the inlets, of which I employ six, whilst the wheel E is provided with twelve buckets, G, each alternate one of which is connected to the shaft by means of plates H. The inner ends of the vertical plates F are bent inwardly so as to each form with the outer end of the next plate an inlet, the sides of which converge inwardly in such a way that the column of water forced through it must strike the side of a bucket at a right angle. On the inner side of the outer part of the plates F are slots f, into which slide the outer edges of gates I. their inner edges resting against the bent part of the plates F. From these gates project latersl pieces 2', the inner sides of which are curved and converge to a point with the outer sides which-are at right angles to the gates 1. Thus they conform to the shape of theinletsJ, in which they slide with the gates. These latter are secured, two to a piece, K, and one to a cross-piece, L, which is dove-tailed into the piece K, the whole being held by the standard'M by braces-N. The buckets G are each provided with a vertical projection, g, nearer to the outside than the inside of the wheel. In the lower rim of the wheel are formed downwardly discharging buckets O, as shown in figs. 3 and 4, through which part ofthe water is discharged, while part of it escapes through the open inner parts of the buckets, as shown at o.

The gates may be operated in any of the known ways by levers, toothed bars, and cog-wheels, or anyother mechanical means. The gates being adjusted to the desired size the water is forced in astraight column through the inlets J, the converging sides of which give an additional force to the columns, which strike the buckets G at right angles. In buckets now in common use the -column of water-on entering the inlets has a tendency to spread upwardly, by which a great deal of its force is lost. To obviate'this I employ the lateral pieces 11 on the gates I, which prevent any spreading of the water and force the column in a solid mass and with increased force on to the buckets, the plates F and pieces 1', together with the bottom plate A, forming a'sort of funnel, the nozzleof which is pointed directly toward the side of the bucket in front of it. The projections g prevent the water thrown on the buckets G from glancing ofl' sideways, necessitating its full force to be exerted ata right angle in the most powerful way. As soon as the bucket has moved out of the line of the column of water that part of it which acted on the bucket is drawn into the same by reason of centrifugal force, and passes ofl" through the downward-discharging buckets O, acting in its escape on the inclined face of the same so as to give additional force. But some of this water-will fly past these buckets O, and in wheels as now used strike against the inner side of the same without exerting any moving power on the wheel, but lying -or moving about in those corners as a. dead weight, obstructing the motion of the wheel. I obviate this difiiculty by. making the buckets open so that the water which does not flow into the buckets 0 must necessarily escape through the openings at 0. Thus it will be readily seen that while I use every means to give additional power to the column of water, I do not allow any part of it to act as a hindrance to the motion of the wheel. 7

Having thus described my inventioh; what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1. The vertical projection g on the buckets G, substantially as described. A 2. The combination of the hem; plates F, forming converging inlets with the wheel, having the parts E G O constructed as described, and with gates I, having projections 2', all arranged substantially as herein represented and described. i

The above specification of my improvement in water-wheels signed by me this eighth day of March, 1867.

' THOMAS G. HAL-L.

Witnesses:

LEWIS STRAYER, ALExn. A. C. KLAUGKE. 

